arena
the large, man-made outdoor space that serves as the site of the Hunger Games. The Gamemakers build a new one every year. The arena is filled with challenges that the tributes have to overcome in order to survive.
azure
a deep, brilliant shade of blue
besotted
infatuated or drunk
capricious
impulsive; unpredictable
Careers
Also known as Career Tributes. Young men and women who have been training their whole lives to prepare for the Hunger Games. They typically come from the wealthier districts (1, 2, or 4).
clandestine
secret
cornucopia
A symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with sustenance. In the Hunger Games, it marks the tributes' entry into the arena and is filled with weapons and sustenance to help them survive.
curt
rudely brief or abrupt
district
Panem is divided into 12 (formerly 13) districts, each defined by a special industry. They are forbidden from communicating with one another and all fall under the control of the Capitol.
duplicitous
deceitful; treacherous
erratic
strange; unpredictable
evade
avoid or escape
exorbitant
excessive
futile
pointless, useless
garrote
strangulation or a weapon, like a length of wire, used to strangle
hassock
a cushion for kneeling
histrionic
melodramatic; excessively emotional or dramatic
impotent
powerless
jabberjay
A bird that repeats everything it hears, once utilized by the Capitol to spy on its citizens.
mockingjay
The unintended result of cross-breeding between the Capitol-invented Jabberjays and ordinary mockingbirds. The mockingjay is the symbol of the rebellion and the name of the 3rd book in the Hunger Games trilogy.
mollify
soothe; appease
morphling
a powerful painkiller from the Capitol
onerous
involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty
precarious
depending on the will or pleasure of another
provocation
the act of provoking or inciting; something that causes anger
quarry
one that is sought or pursued
reaping
an annual event where two tributes (one girl, one boy) are randomly chosen from each district to compete in that year's Hunger Games.
reproach
blame or rebuke
ribald
obscene; indecent; bawdy
spile
a spigot used to draw sap from a tree
sponsor gift
a gift that sponsors (viewers of the Hunger Games) can send to their chosen tributes during the Hunger Games. These gifts are extremely expensive and often contain some kind of vital tool to help the tribute survive - like food, water, or medicine.
Tesserae
tokens used in Panem to exchange entries in the Hunger Games lottery for food.
tincture
a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent
transgression
sin
tributes
The participants in the Hunger Games who are selected at random from Panem's 12 districts (except during the Quarter Quells).
Victors' Village
The small, wealthy neighborhoods that exist in each district to house Hunger Games victors.
